Kendra by Coe Booth Page B

she’s really somebody that drinks coffee, which she’s not.
    Mara leans over and whispers to me, “Come with me to the bathroom.”
    I nod, and as we get up I see Clyde slip his arm around theback of Nana’s chair. I think Mara notices it, too, because we look at each other for a second but don’t say anything.
    When we get into the bathroom there’s only one stall, so Mara goes first, and while she’s peeing she asks, “So, is Clyde your grandmother’s boyfriend ?”
    “I don’t know,” I say. “I don’t even wanna think about her with a boyfriend. I mean, I don’t even have a boyfriend yet.”
    Mara laughs. “Me, neither. But I think she likes him. And he’s nice.”
    “Yeah,” I say. “He is.”
    She flushes the toilet and comes out, and I go in. I’m still kinda embarrassed that I wanted to be a college, whatever that means, but I’m trying not to think about it. Not now.
    After we leave IHOP, we drop Mara off at home and make sure she gets into the building safe. Then when we get to Bronxwood, Nana asks Clyde if he wants to come upstairs for another cup of coffee. And, of course, he says yes and parks his car.
    Even though this is supposedly Clyde’s first time to our apartment, when the elevator reaches our floor, he gets out and already seems to know which way to walk. And then when we’re inside and Nana hangs up his jacket, he asks to use the bathroom, and she don’t have to tell him where it is.
    I’m just watching everything, collecting the evidence. Then I grab the cordless phone off the charger and I’m about to go to my room to call Adonna with all the latest info, not just about Nana and Clyde but about Darnell, too, but the doorbell rings and I have to turn back around to answer the door.
    It’s Kenny standing there with his envelope.
    “How was the play tonight?” he asks, hugging me.
    “Good,” I say. “Come in.”
    He walks back into the kitchen with me and, while I put the phone back on the base, I see Kenny hand Nana the envelope.
    “Thank you,” she tells him, but she don’t smile or anything.
    Sometimes I wish she would because I know it would make Kenny feel a whole lot better about himself, to know he’s kinda helping us out, even a little bit. I mean, right now all I feel is bad for him because he had to borrow money yesterday and now he’s trying to act like he can help take care of me when he can’t. And at the same time, I really love him for trying. I just wish Nana would show him some love, too.
    I walk him out to the elevator.
    “When is Renée coming back?” he asks.
    I tell him tomorrow, and me and him kinda smile at each other for a while. Then the elevator comes and Kenny gives me another hug. “Good night, Babe.”
    “Good night.”
    He gets in the elevator but holds the door open ’til he sees me get back down the hall to my apartment and open the door. Then I wave to him and go inside. I’m kinda worried about him, with the way he still waits for Renée all the time. He’s only setting himself up for a big letdown.
    Nana and Clyde are still in the kitchen, sitting at the table having coffee and danish. I go in and grab the cordless again, but instead of dialing Adonna, I call Renée’s cell phone.
    But she don’t answer. It goes straight to voice mail. So I leave a message, reminding her when the play starts tomorrow, and telling her that it’s the last show. Then I tell Nana and Clyde good night and go to my room so they can spend some time together without me hanging around.
    I close the door loud enough so they know they have privacy, and I get undressed in my room. I’m kinda feeling good about everything, the play, hanging out with Mara, even Nana and Clyde. I mean, it’s good that she likes him. And soon she won’t have to worry about having men in the apartment around me because me and Renée will have our own place. Well, as soon as she saves up the money.
    It’s not ’til about a half hour later, when I’m already in bed